WATSONVILLE >> Though impacts of Santa Cruz County’s new voter-approved “self-help” transportation tax have not yet translated into a bustling regional rail trail or filled-in potholes, Regional Transportation Commission staff members said Thursday that much is going on behind the scenes.

Revenue from the new tax will not begin flowing in to Regional Transportation Commission coffers until July, and the county Elections Office and Board of Equalization will take their cuts of the profit first.

Retail customers countywide will see their sales at the register increase in price by one half of 1 percent beginning in April and continuing for the next 30 years.

With an estimated 10 percent or more of the estimated $200 million in storm-related damage experienced statewide in recent weeks reported in Santa Cruz County, some local leaders have begun asking if some early fiscal relief might come from the tax’s proceeds, said RTC Executive Director George Dondero

“We’re exploring possibilities on that, we’ve been in discussion with your staff on that,” Dondero told the RTC board. “However, we’d like to caution that you explore those federal and state emergency fund sources first, because, owing to the size of the damage — just for example, the county gets about $2.5 million a year — you don’t want to borrow too far out into the future to repair today’s storm damage. So, you should proceed carefully on that.”

Local jurisdictions and service providers are not due to receive their portions of the proceeds, set by a formula laid out in the Nov. 8 Measure D ballot measure, until each have approved their own five-year priority projects plan, which will be subject to public comment.

“We’re developing guidelines and agreements with the direct recipient agencies to ensure that the funds increase or expand transportation projects and services and do not simply supplant existing funding,” Dondero said. “At the cities and the county, you will hold public hearings on how that money is to be spent. That will not happen here at the RTC.”

Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Metro and Community Bridges will have until June 30 to complete their five-year plans, then need to publicly update the documents annually thereafter, Dondero said. The RTC board will undergo a similar process for large-scale regional projects such as Highway 1 widening, Highway 9 corridor improvements and rail trail work. The RTC board also will need to appoint five community members to a public oversight committee that will be tasked with reviewing how Measure D funds were spent in each previous year. That committee’s creation, while important, is on a back burner for now, said RTC senior transportation manager Karena Pushnik.

Advertisement

The board also heard an update on Segment 7 of the Rail Trail, a 2.2-mile stretch from Natural Bridges Drive to the Municipal Wharf in Santa Cruz. The project expanded from an estimated at $4.5 million to $5.3 million and will be broken into two phases while the city seeks additional funding sources.

About the Author

Jessica A. York covers Santa Cruz city hall, Santa Cruz City Schools, Soquel Creek Water District and homeless issues for the Sentinel. She has been a working journalist, on both coasts, since 2004. Reach the author at jyork@santacruzsentinel.com
or follow Jessica A. on Twitter: @reporterjess.